Social media is such a constant in our lives today that people and companies don’t stop to think about how their posting could influence readers. A status or picture with an alcoholic beverage featured may influence others into picking up a drink themselves. But just how much influence do these ads have over readers? A study conducted by Michigan State University looks deeper into this issue.

The study included 121 participants that were exposed to Facebook ads. Half of the group was exposed to ads of beer, while the other half was exposed to ads of bottled water. After the study was completed, each participant was offered the choice of either a gift card to a coffee shop, or a gift card to a bar.

Over 70 percent of the group that viewed the alcohol ads chose the gift card to the bar, while just over 50 percent of the group that viewed the water bottled ads chose the coffee shop gift card. These findings show that these ads do influence its readers. This can become dangerous due to the fact that there are many underage people on these social media sites that often lie about their age to get an account, and therefore are put into an adult category that lets them view these ads. There are also no formal regulations on advertising on these sites.